To travel you do not have to wait for the time you go on vacation. Even on a workweek, there is a time for a trip. To diversify your weekends and to get new impressions and emotions you can make a fantastic trip embracing our programme "short breaks".

Take your friends or family, choose up to three cities you want to visit and make a fabulous journey. In this weekend tour, you can stay for a one or two nights in the places you have chosen. You can be on excursions exploring and admiring the cities during the whole day and enjoy breathtaking views of the places recollecting bright moments of your trip at night. From dawn till night you will be able to see how the cities and everything around you change. Morning day will present the architecture and the landscape in sunlight glory while night will show transformed buildings and streets sinking in illumination.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to souvenirs from Russia? Of course, it is matryoshka, balalaika, vodka and caviar. Oh, and a hat with ear flaps as well! However, the ear flap hat is now in vogue, and has ceased to be such a rarity, vodka can be bought almost anywhere in the world.

Numerous souvenir shops are vying to sell magnets, mugs and T-shirts with slogans and thematic images (flag and coat of arms of Russia, funny sayings, bears, portraits of politicians and well-known writers), sailor's striped vests, as well as handicrafts. Khokhloma, Gzhel, enamel, birch amulets and Vologda lacework… the assortment is huge! But when you make purchases, don’t lower your guard.
Some unscrupulous sellers may try to sell you cheaper and substandard imitations. Of course, most of the shops have certificates for their goods and buy them directly from factories and workshops.
To help you not to get lost in all this colorful variety and tell how and where it is better to buy particular products, we have prepared separate articles for you on Russian folk crafts.

It makes sense to look for more valuable and rare souvenirs in antique shops.
Old coins, porcelain figurines of the Soviet era, icons, clocks, badges, decorations - one does not know where to look first!
But even here there are potential pitfalls. Apart from the fact that the seller may seriously inflate the price of what you want to buy, arguing that it is older or more valuable than it really is, there may be problems taking it out of the country.

As of today, it is prohibited to take any items of cultural value (books, figurines, icons, pictures, etc.), created prior to January 1, 1964 out of the country.

Important note: items of cultural value do not include cultural goods of serial and mass production, or modern souvenirs.

However, sometimes even an item of mass production manufactured over fifty years ago may attract the close attention of the customs service. If you want to protect yourself from unforeseen delays and undesired proceedings (the item is likely to stay with you, which, alas, cannot be said of your nerve cells), you can send the purchase to your own address by mail, after packing it carefully to avoid damage. Make sure that the package has a warning sign if the item is fragile.

Are you a little confused with all this information? Our team members are always ready to help you navigate all the rules, addresses, products and prices!

You will definitely find something to your liking and within your budget with all the variety of great Russian souvenirs!

The group meets at the VDNKhMetro station, to the right of the Cosmos Hotel. We ask you to check the guide’s phone number the day before arrival on our website in the "Information on departures and arrivals" section.

7:45 am – Departure on Saturday

9:00 am – Departure on Monday

Departure for Vladimir. Travel excursion program.

1:00 pm Dinner.

2:00 pm Excursion in Vladimir. Vladimir is the former capital of Rus.

See sights from the 12th century.

The Golden Gate (beautiful architectural building) is a symbol of Ancient Rus’ greatness and power.

The Dmitrievsky Cathedral is a monument of pre-Mongol Vladimir/Suzdal architecture.

The Dormition Cathedral is a masterpiece of white-stone architecture with preserved frescoes by Andrei Rublev.

The "Crystal, lacquer miniature and embroidery” museum, or the "Old Vladimir" exposition in a 4-story tower from 1912 (the exposition tells the story of the city of the end of the XIX century - early XX century).

Departure for Bogolyubovo.

You will visit Svyato-Bogolyubovsky monastery and the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl (depending on weather conditions).

You will see the deltas of the Volga river and the Kotorosli river, as well as the Dormition Cathedral. You can also walk along the Volzhskaya embankment, which was reconstructed on the 1,000th anniversary of the city. You will also visit the central part Yaroslavl, a unique architectural complex which has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Visit the Savior Transfiguration Monastery (which is called the Kremlin because of its fortified walls).

The original paintings have been preserved in the main cathedral of the monastery. This is the oldest temple of Yaroslavl that survived to this day. Here a hand-written list from the Old Russian literary masterpiece, "The Lay of Igor's Host", was found.

Visit the Church of Elijah the Prophet (interior - in summer, exterior - in winter). This is an outstanding architectural monument of the Yaroslavl school of architecture.

2:30 pm Lunch

3:30 pm Sightseeing tour in Kostroma.

The merchant city has preserved the original appearance of the architectural complex from the 18th century to the present day.

Visit the town square (commonly known as “pan”), shopping arcade, 19th-century fire tower.

The Ipatievsky monastery (The Holy Trinity cathedral, the Princes' burial-vault
or the Chambers of The Romanov Boyars) is the main city symbol, the cradle of the Romanov dynasty.

Visit the Epiphany Monastery of St. Anastasia where the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God (13th century) is kept.

Return to the hotel.

8:00pm Dinner at the hotel restaurant.

The 4th day

7:00 am Breakfast at the hotel restaurant.

10:00am Excursion in the Rostov Kremlin - the residence of Rostov bishops and metropolitans (exterior architecture of the Rostov Kremlin). The architectural complex of the Rostov Kremlin with the Dormition Cathedral (XVI century), which has a unique bell gable which holds a completely preserved set of 15 bells, the Bishop's Court, Cathedral Square and the Metropolitan Garden. Ceramic exhibition in the Kremlin. “Walls and passages of the Rostov Kremlin” exposition (small transitions in between sites).

Departure for Pereslavl-Zalessky.

12:30pm Pereslavl-Zalessky is the birthplace of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky and the cradle of the Russian fleet. Red Square sights.

1:00 pm Dinner

Departure for Sergiyev Posad.

4:00 pm Visit the Trinity lavra of St. Sergius, the Dormition Cathedral and the Holy Trinity cathedral Interior.